Nico di Angelo limbered down the foreign hallway that was his new school. He shouldered a black, skull printed backpack nervously. So many students were chattering down the halls and it was a shame he couldn't hear or understand anything anyone was saying with the blood pounding so loudly in his ears. They all generally acted like the teenagers at his old school and it made him feel a little more comfortable, but the blood still pounded and made him dizzy.

The sophomore glanced at his schedule again for what seemed to be the fortieth time and slumped his shoulders. He would probably end up needing glasses, as the fuzz all over the paper looked like Greek to him. Wait- no, he'd studied Greek, this was straight up gibberish!

He stopped a girl in the hallway, remembering the words he was told to use in such a situation, "Um, I am lost." His voice was soft and came out as almost a whisper. The girl, who had a slightly freckled face and brown hair pulled back to expose a crude looking face, huffed at Nico rudely.

"I'm already running late, punk! Ask someone else." She smirked and started to walk away, letting her shoulder ram into the shorter boy to knock all the books out of his arms. He looked up to retort, but she was already walking away, her hoodie displaying LaRUE on the back and a number 05, probably for some sports team.

With a sigh, he began picking up his books, stacking them just so. Of course, he should've known this would happen. After all, it had happened on his first day of his old school too, but he would pick this treatment here over treatment there any day. He winced a little as he remembered the bruises he'd received that day.

"Are you okay?" came a voice from behind him. The bell rang, but this person wasn't rushing around. Nico turned around a little to face owner of the feminine voice. She had long and curly blonde hair framing her face. Her eyes were a startling, stormy grey though and he stumbled back a little. She leaned down to help him pick back up the books.

Once they stood back up, she smiled at him kindly and handed him the books. "Are you new here?" she inquired, "I've never seen you around before and as president of the student council, it's my job to know everyone."

"Uh," Nico stammered. "I am lost." His voice was heavily accented and cracked with puberty and he looked at her nervously, not knowing if he had replied correctly. The girl chuckled a bit at his reply and picked up his schedule off the top of his stack.

"I can see that," she smiled and began scrutinizing the sheet of paper. She obviously understood his problem, and not only the one about his being lost. She nodded and pointed down the hallway. "Your class is this way." She motioned for him to follow her and led him to his class.

"Mrs. Dodds, you have a new student!" the blonde announced as she led the boy into the room. The woman wore a leather coat and had her hair pulled up into a messy grey bun.

She gave Nico an almost malicious smile, "Welcome, Nico di Angelo, right?" Nico nodded and quickly scurried over to an empty seat that was pointed at. His helper winked at him before slipping out of the room, going unnoticed by everyone but Nico as Mrs. Dodds continued her math lesson.

Fortunately, math was the same everywhere and he had learned the equations before transferring schools, so he didn't need to worry about knowing what was being said.

The teacher looked familiar, possibly one of his father's assistants he recognized. He couldn't really tell but he knew he knew her from somewhere else, even if he didn't pay any mind to it.

As the bell rang, Nico left the classroom, obviously looking lost again, but he spotted the blonde girl again, leaning against the wall in the hallway and chatting to a tall boy with black, short-cropped hair.

Nico weaved in and out of rushing students to make his way over to her, hoping she would help him again. The girl immediately smiled. "Hey, Nico."

Nico remembered the word to use, "Hello..." he realized he had no idea what his savior's name was.

"Oh my gods!" she said aloud in realization, "How rude of me, I didn't even introduce myself to you!" She instantly reached out and shook his hand, "I'm Annabeth Chase and this is my boyfriend Percy Jackson." Annabeth motioned towards the dark-haired boy.

"Yo," said Percy with a smile, "You must be Nico." He shook Nico's hand as well.

"Would you show Percy your schedule? He can show you to your next class." Annabeth talked with her hands a lot, which made it easier for Nico to understand what she said with his lack of knowledge on her tongue. He nodded and handed the tall boy his paper. Percy squinted at the schedule before his face lit up a little.

"Well it looks like we're headed to the same place, buddy!" He flung his arm all friendly around the shorter boy. "Let's head to the class I suck at the most, Italian!" Nico recognized one word, and that one word made his face light up like a holiday tree.

"Sì!" he exclaimed happily in his mother tongue, knowing for certain that Percy would understand no matter how bad he was at Italian.

A/N: Hello! I have been OBSESSED with Percico lately and I just HAD to write this because it was too cute not to. There isn't enough highschool AU with Percico in it. Yes, right now there is Percabeth but that will change with time. ;)

So I know I should be working on Truth or Truth and Wipeout, but I couldn't resist! I promise, this will be good. I've got the whole thing planned out. You'll see!

I am also working on a Percico/JaLeo one-shot packed full of sarcastically humorous gods and prophecies. It will be called Aristotle's Original, so look for it when I tell you it's up! :)

~EK